An Unfortunate SM North Edsa IMAX Experience

With the recent changes SM North EDSA has done with its structure, they got my attention once more. I gave up on SM since the arrival of TriNoma – not that I no longer visit them but I spend more time roaming around in TriNoma because of the newer facilities and better malling experience. SM somehow got me back upon the addition of certain structures such as the Skygarden and the improvement made on SM Annex.

Upon learning that a new IMAX theater is being constructed in the mall, I got to excited to learn about the details. Later on, they announced that the theater’s opening will coincide on the opening day of Harry Potter 6. I immediately made a note on my Facebook account and invited people to watch with me of course on their own pockets. It’s just that I’ll make an advanced reservation for them.

Last night, when I attended the 2025H showing of the movie, I am so excited since I wonder how were they able to fit an IMAX theater on such a small area. To my surprise, the cinema is good and the steepness of the moviehouse is not as bad as Mall of Asia’s. Fast forward in the movie, the first 12 minutes of Harry Potter 6 is only the 3D part. Sad to say that that 12 minutes include the opening sequence of Warner Brothers. The movie played on well even after the 3D effects. My companion that night was my former boss and we noticed that during the 45-50 minutes of the movie, the scene became a bit blurry. It is as if the scene have glows which at first we thought as an effect of the film – an effect which is familiar with shots taken at broad daylight. Not until the next hour of the movie from it first appeared, the rest of the scenes are blurry/hazy spoiling the “crisp” cinema experience promised by IMAX theaters. I glance once in a while to check if there’s really a problem with the projector since once in a while the scene becomes “clean” but only after some shadows of black moving across the screen. Then we said, there’s something wrong with the projector. I didn’t enjoy the movie afterwards since it’s annoying to watch the movie with black shadows moving in the screen which you don’t know if it’s a movie effect (perhaps a Death Eater) or the shadows are indeed live. We ended the movie frustrated, annoyed, and literally pissed off. We paid 400 pesos for a crappy movie experience. Perhaps, it would be better if we watched it in a regular cinema – saving us 230 pesos which we could use for food or could have treated for another seat.

On our way out, I saw my friend Mike Y. and we share the same sentiment. I think we were both bitchin out the spoiled experience at IMAX. After the talk, we went on our own ways going home. I chanced again on Mike on the other side of the cinema (5-8) upon going home and I asked him why he’s there and he said he’ll complain about the IMAX incident. As a pissed off customer, I waited for the manager as well to come out to air my concerns as well. When the theater manager went out, I joined Mike explaining our issues and experiences. We explained that the whole IMAX experience was spoiled and it was unacceptable that they weren’t able to foresee the incident that happened to us. According to the theater manager (Miss Liza D.), the 2025H showing was the only affected screening – the previous ones doesn’t have (okay, fine. We wouldn’t care too because we weren’t there). She reasoned out that the temperature was the cause of the moist. Upon mentioning that I debunked her statement and told her the cinema isn’t that cold enough to think I am one of the first people who went inside the cinema. The reason would be unrealistic because the temperature inside is not that cold – sad to say – as compared to the much larger regular cinema of TriNoma.

After airing our concerns, she apologized for the spoiled experience and as a consolation, she offered us tickets again to the same movie, still in IMAX – with popcorns at a schedule comfortable with us – depending on the number of seats available. We don’t know how will this hold but as an assurance, we got her number and will inform her when a schedule is “good” enough to watch again.

Thing is, as the saying goes – first impressions last. I’ll avail of the next screening passes (provided she keeps her promise) and hope this impression will be a positive change. 😦

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Published by Patrick

My friends call me Patrick although I can be referred through different names - JP, John, Patrick, Yummy (unfortunately), Papa P, and so on. I am a software developer who works mostly with Microsoft technologies but consider myself open to other technologies. I have started with open source technologies but it was the Microsoft stuff that jumpstarted my career so well, so my loyalty goes to ahm, ehrm, what works best! I talk about a lot of things under the sun but even if we disagree on some discussions, I would definitely respect your views on it. Loves traveling, adventures, reading, cooking, and photography when I don't sit in front my computer. Who ever said software developers are boring people?
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